WREXHAM chairman Alex Hamilton has confirmed a threat to raze the Racecourse was a hoax.

It came as he revealed two developers want to build homes on land next to the ground's Kop End.

A ground-saving strategy put forward by fans first mooted the idea of new homes to raise cash.

The bizarre claim that bulldozers are heading for the Mold Road stadium came in an e-mail to Wrexham council, allegedly from Mr Hamilton.

Marked for authority leader Neil Rogers, it referred to a BBC programme broadcast on Tuesday about the controversy rocking the club.

The message read: "Have you seen this, you bunch of backstabbers?

"Football is over at the Racecourse. I'm done talking to any of you. The bulldozers will be in by Monday."

But following an investigation by the council's IT experts, a spokesman said: "Our staff have established the e-mail was a fraud and it was not sent by Mr Hamilton."

Last night Mr Hamilton said the e-mail was a con-trick. "This is the latest in a number of malicious and damaging fictions in relation to the football club."

The Cheshire-based businessman said, at a board meeting on Thursday, he told fellow-directors David Bennett and David Griffiths two nationally-known house-building companies were interested in developing part of the Racecourse site.

"We are trying to move that interest forward but it's early days," he said.

The initial proposal for an in-situ development, which would enable Wrexham to continue playing at the Racecourse, was put forward by Wrexham